I stepped onto the porch of Cross to Light August 3rd and felt immediately connected. I remember acknowledging that very fact and how profound the feeling was. I had been serving in Criox- des- Bouquet prior to arriving in Delmas, enjoyed my time there, yet being at Cross to Light was like arriving in another country.
On our arrival, our group visited with some of the students and mission teams that were also staying at Cross to Light. It’s awesome to meet total strangers and yet have instant unity in Christ! Awesome! We then met Pastor Brian. I have to smile remembering the time, he was so alive, so excited to see us, and so glad that we came. He is a guy full of energy, so filled by the Holy Spirit, so humble and it was very clear that he was exactly where the Lord desired him to be. He showed us around the training center and told us about the ministry.
I was captivated with Pastor Brian’s details about how he received his calling to raise up Haitian men to teach the Word, telling us about the previous owner of the house, the tent cities, the students, the children, the bible training center (HBTC), all of it, I was a sponge soaking it all in.
Going to the tent city was a life changer. Seeing images on the web or even hearing others stories does not impact you the way seeing, touching, talking, praying with the Haitian people impacts you. They have suffered greatly, yet had smiles on their faces, so welcoming, so beautiful.
Wilny, a student, had planted a church not far away from the HBTC and we were able to attend. On the way to church, Dom another student was talking with our team and he said “pray for us”, those three words penetrated me so deeply. I’ve not stopped praying and thinking about the students, their lives and their future making an impact for the Kingdom. Lewis, another student sat next to me during the service and translated the teaching into English, he did an amazing job! The children loved to be near you and engage with you, it was a delightful time in the presents of the Lord!
The day ended and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we were able to sleep on the roof at the HBTC! All of us took our mattresses upstairs and absorbed the sounds of Haiti; roosters, dogs, horns, chickens … loved it! I felt right at home, so at peace, so changed within a few hours.
I was only at Cross to Light 22 hours. I left knowing that I would return and that I wanted to bring more people back with me. I caught the vision of the HBTC and since I have been home, I have been strongly encouraging my brothers & sisters in Christ to pray about going Haiti. I want others to be profoundly impacted by what the Lord is doing in Haiti. I want my brothers to be a part of teaching & encouraging the future Pastors who are called to go out and teach the Word to transform a nation. I want others to go to the tent cities, to step outside of their comfort zones and allow the Lord to take them on a journey that ignites a fire within that stirs others who are watching from a distance.
I arrived in the states and the immigration officer asked me where I had been. I told him Haiti, he then asked why I was there, I told him a mission trip. He looked at me and then asked what my real job was, I told him. A few hours later it hit me. I was truly returning to my fake Monday to Friday job, my real job is to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ all places to all people. The trip to Haiti was a kiss from Heaven to me. I’ve been on other trips to other counties, Haiti was different, I came home changed. I delight in the future knowing that I will go back. Until then, I will be a voice stateside speaking about the Lords work in Haiti through Cross to Light. I will pray for all those serving Jesus and that many souls will come to know their Savior. I’m all into adventure with the Lord. I didn’t expect to be so impacted, I’m grateful that I was.
Marie Ingham
